Golf practicing device



Julne 2, 1931. A. C, VOLK 14,808,390

.GOLF PRACTICING DEVICE Filed Nov. 9, 1921" 2 sheets-sheet 1 June 2, 1931.v A VOLK 1,808,390

GOLF PRACTIGING DEVICE 5 Filed Nov'. 9, 1927 2 sheets-sheer v2 WVM/me HA/065W C /LK @nvm/Ey Patented June 2,

UNITED- STATES PATENT. ori-*ICE ANnnEw'c. voix, or DULUTH, 'mom narra A. vom; ExEcU'raIx or SAID ANDREW C. VOLK, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR T ESTEY M. TURNER, 0F AROADIA, CALI:

FOBNIA com# rmc'rIcING DEVICE Application led November 9, 1927. Serial No. 232,060.

My invention relates to and has fora purpose the provision of a compact and durable device adapted to be used at an place where suiicient clearance exists to a low the free '5 and unrestricted swing of a golf club, by.

which one can practice the striking of a golf ball with the club, the device supporting a lf ball for movement in response to strikmg of the ball with the club and functioning to return the ball to a definite position after being struck, so that the time and labor of retrieving and again properly positioning the ball after each stroke is obvlated, tothe end that one can, with the utmost ease and cony 15 venience obtain practice to lkeep in form and cating in terms of linear measurement the' force or intensity of a blow struck the ball so that the golfer will be appraised of the length of the drlve which would result from an identical stroke with the club on the links, the

indicator capable of being instantly reset so as to ,-be ready to register theresult of the next stroke.

3 I will describe -only one form of golf practicing device embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view showing in side elevation one form of golf practicing device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 yand looking in the d irection of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig.' 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the interior construction of the indicator em- 6 6 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows. y

Referring specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate c similar parts in each of the several views, my invention in its present embodiment comprises a weighted metal base B of. circular `.form provided on its underside with a pad 10 of rubber o r the like and adapted to rest upon the floor, thebase constituting a stationary support for a ball carrying element designated generally at E, and to this end thebase is provided centrally with an up-A I standing ear 11 through a horizontal opening in which extends the threaded shank 12 of a thumb screw 13, the screw being threaded into a member in the form of a disk 14 and operating to clamp the disk to the ear,

11. Threaded into the periphery of the disk is the reduced threaded end 15 of a stud 16 the stud havin al head 17 in the form of an eye through wich the finger or a suitable bar (not shown is adapted to be extended to facilitate liftlng of the device when moving it about.

The stud 16 constitutes a fixed axis upon which the ball carrying element E is adapted to be mounted for 'rotary movement.

The element E in the present instance comprises a head 18 having a vertical sleeve 19 through whichjthe stud 16 extends, and a horizontal sleeve 20 extending radially from rotary movement and into which one end of a rod 21 is adapted to be inserted and clamped by means .of a set screw 22, the rod having a head 23 on its other end and constituting, an arm for su porting a conventional golf ball G throug which an opening 23 has previously been drilled diametrically to snugly receive the rod.

In applying the ball to the rod the latter is first removed from the sleeve 20 and the ball then slipped on the rod until engagel with the head 23 after which the rod is replaced and clamped in the sleeve, this construction permitting ythe ball t0 'be readily removed when unfit for further use and a new ball substituted.

A horizontal arm 24 is formed integral the sleeve 19 so as to support the head for with the sleeve 19 and extends radially from the latter at a point diametrically opposite to the sleeve 20, the arm 24 being provided at its outer end with a weight 25 which, with the arm, functions to balance the weight of the sleeve 20, rod 21 and the golf ball G.

The lower end of the sleeve 19 is reduced in diameter as indicated at 26, to receive a cam 27 having its peripheral surface preferably in substantiall theshape of a heart, the cam being fore The peripheral surface. of the cam is engagml vby a roller 28ebroadly constituting a movable abutment and rotatably mounted on a pin 29 extending through the bifurcated end 30 of a plunger31, the latter being mounted to reciprocate in a barrel 32, horizontally disosed and formed'integral with the ear 11.

he roller is constantly urged into engagement with the cam' 27 by means of a coil spring 33 disposed in the barrel and interposed between the lunger and a plug 34 fitting in the end o Athe barrel and secured against displacement by means of a set screw 35. The barrel is slotted longitudinally at diametrically opposed points as indicated at 36, and.theroller 28 extends into the slots so as toprevent rotation of the plunger in the barrel with .consequent displacement of the roller with respect to the cam. The cam 27 and spring pressed roller 28 constitute means by which the ballcarrying element E and hence the golf'ball G are constantly urged to a predetermined position, and it will be clear that the roller, in acting' against the pripheral surface of the cam at any point tween the high point 37 or the low point 38 formed by the crotch 39 of the cam, will cause the latter, and hence the element E, to rotat'e in one direction or the other depending which side of the high vvpoint' the roller is acting against, tothe end-thatthe cam will ultimately be brought to rest' with the roller seated in the crotch 39,-thus causing th'e golf ball G, after being struck aV blow and rotatedto be returned t'o a definite position.

n the operation 'of the device it is placed v upon the floor of a room 'or on any level surface and the element E adjusted with respect to the base by loosening 4the thumb screw 13 and rocking the element about the screw until the desired elevation of the ball G above the ground level or 'mat is obtained, after which the with his club an swings the latter in the usual manner to strike the ball. Upon the intensity of the blow struck the ball, depends the number of revolutions imparted to the element E, and it will be clear also that -unless the ball is Astruck squarel the number of revolutionswill be accor ingly reduced. During rotation of the element E vthe spring I onto the sleeve so asv to be fixed thereto for rotation therewith.l

golfer addresses the ball.

ressedroller 28 constantly- -05 acts to arrest t e movement, and when` the momentum of the element is insufficient to overcome the'tension of the spring 33 and move the high point 37 of the cam 27 past the roller 28, the element will commence to oscillate and ultimately be brought to rest with the roller in thc crotch 39 of the cam.'

disk 14 by screws 42, so as to rigidly support `the casing on the disk. At one side of the casing 40, in a bore 43 is mounted for reciprocatlng movement an actuator 44 in the form of a rod projecting from one end of thecasing and having a head 45 normally urged by a spring 46 to theposition shown in Fig. 5 so as to be disposed in the path of movement of the cam 27. During each revolution of the cam 27 the actuator 44 will bc moved in the direction' of the arrow (Fig. 5) to cause a pawl 47 pivoted at 48 on the actuator and normally urged to the position shown in Fig. 5 by a spring 49, to engage one of the teeth of a ratchet 5() rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft 51, and rotate the ratchet wheel a distance of one tooth, vagainst the tension of a torsional spring 52 fixed at one end tothe Wheel and at its other end to the shaft, the ratchet wheel being latched against retrograde movement by means of a spring pressed latch lever 53 pivoted at 54 in the casing and projecting exteriorly of the latter through a slot 55 for manual manipulation to release the ratchet wheel when desired. Rotatable on the shaft 51 and fixed tothe ratchet wheel at one side thereof is a disk 56 having a single tooth 57, adapted to engage any one of a plurality of pins 58 arranged in a circular series and pro'ecting from one side of a disk 58l rotatably mounted on a shaft 59, to the end upon each revolution of the disk 56 thedisk 58 will be rotated a distance ual to the spacing between adjacent plus 58.

ioo

To the topside of the disks 56 and 58* are secured numeral bearing dials 60 and 61 respectively (Fig.,2), and the open top of the casing 40 is-closed by a cover plate 62 having openings 63 through which a single numeral on each of the dials can be viewed. The numerals of'the dials are intended to represent linear distances, the numerals of the dial 60 representingv yards and those of the dial 61 representing yards in hundreds, to the end that one com lete revolution of the dial 60, which woul be effected in response to ten revolutions of the elementE (there being ten teeth in the ratchet wheel 50), would indicate by the numeral 1 of the dial 61 a drive of one hundred yards.

After an actuation of the element E and the reading of the indications of the dials and 61 the golfercan reset the dials to Vzero by pressing with his clubagainst the projecting end of the latch lever 53 and releasing the ratchet wheel 50, thus allowing the spring 52 to restore the dials to zero position which is determined by the engagement of a stop pin 64 carried by the disk casing 40 as shown in lo Although I have hereinshown and deications may be made therein without de-` 58.* witha-second pin fixed in the scribed only one form of golf practicing device embodying my invention, it is to understood that various changes and modlparting from the spirit of the invention and "the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

. means co-acting to urge the element toa predetermined position in which the ball occupies a definite position, whereby after the ball is struck it will be automatically returned to said delinite position, said co-acting means comprising a substantially -heart shaped cam, a roller, and means for urging the roller into engagement with the cam.

2. A device of the character described comprising means for supporting a golf ball, means for mounting the first means for rotary movement in one direction or the other about a xed axis according as the ball is struck on one side or the opposite side so as to cause thepball to travel in an orbital path in one direction or the other, means on the irst means and means on the second means co-acting to urge the first means to a predetermined position wherein the ball occupies a deiinite position, whereby after the ball is struck it will be automatically returned to said definite position, said coacting means comprising a cam of substantially heart shape rotatable with the lirst means` about the axis of the latter, a roller mounted on the v second means for movement bodily, and means for urging the roller into engagement with the cam. l

3. A golf practicing device comprising a support adapted to rest upon the floor, a ball carrying element mounted on the support -for rotary movement about a vertical axis,

. a camI fixed to said element for rotation therewith and having a peripheral cam surface of substantially heart shape, a plunger mounted for reciprocating movement on the including a vertically disposed stud, a ball carrying element comprisin a head rotatably mounted on the stud an having an arm on which the ball is-adapted to be supported,v

.a cam fixed to the head for rotation therewith, a roller, means for mounting the roller .l for bodily movement on the support, and

means for constantly urging the roller into engagement with the cam.

5.- A golf practicing device as embodied in claim 4 wherein said head is provided with a sleeve receiving the stud, a second sleeve projecting angularly from the Iirst sleeve, and said arm comprises a rod having one end removabl fitted in the second sleeve and its other en provided with a head to retain a ball through which the arm is adapted to extend, avainst displacement from the rod, and

means or securing the rod against displace-v ment from its sleeve.

6. A golf practicing device com rising 'a support adapted to rest upon the oor, and includlng a vertically disposed stud, a ball carrying element comprisin 'a head rotatably mounted on the stud an having an arm` on which the ball is adapt/edv to be supported, a camiixed tothe head fo'r rotation there- With about the stud and having a peripheral cam surface of substantially heart shape, a barrel secured to the support, a plunger reciprocable in the barrel having a roller rotatably mounted thereon, and a spr-ing in the barrel .engaging the plunger for urging the roller into engagement with the cam.

7. A golf practicing device' as embodied in claim 4 wherein the support comprises a base having an upstanding ear, a member to which the stud is rigidly secured, and va clamping screw extending transversely through the ear and member for clamping the member to the ear, yet allowing rotational adjustment of the member about the axis of the screw.

8. A golf practicing device as embodied in claim 4 wherein the support comprises a base having an upstanding ear, a member to which .the stud is rigidly secured, and a clamping screw extending transversely through the ear and member for clamping the member to vthe ear, yet allowing rotational adjustment ofthe member about the axis of the screw, said means 4for mounting the roller comprisin a barrel on the member, a plunger reciproca le in the barrel and on which the roller is rotatably mounted, said urging means comprising a spring inthe barrel engaging the plunger.

9. A golf practicing devicev as embodied in claim 4 wherein an indicator is associated with the device and comprises a rotatable dial, and means operatively associated with the dial and operable by the cam to impart rotational movement to the dial in response to rotation of the cam.-

10. A golf practicing device as embodied in claim 4 wherein an indicator is associated wlth the devlce and comprises a rotatable dial, means for urging the d1al to rotate 1n one d1- rection, van actuator mounted for movement and normally urged to one position wherein it is disposed in the path of the movement of the cam so as to be actuated by the latter, ratchet and pawl means operatively associated with the dial and actuator and operable by the latter when moved by the cam to impart a predetermined amount of movement to said dial in a direction opposed to its urged direction, and releasable means for latching the dial against movement in its urged direction.`

11. A device of the character described comprising means for supporting a golf ball, means for mounting the rst means for rotary movement in one direction or the other according as the ball is struck on one side or the opposite side so as to cause the ball to travelin an orbital path in one direction or the other, an indicator including a dial` and means operable in response to rotation of ythe irst means in one direction or the other to rotate'the dial in one and the same direction comprising a cam rotatable with the first means, and an actuator' engageable vitlh the cam and operatively connected to the 12. A device of the character described comprising means 'for supporting a golf ball, means for mounting the rst means for rotary movement in response to striking of the ball and an indicator for registering movement o the first means comprising` a rotatable dial, means for urging the dial to rotate in one direction, an actuator mounted for movement, means operable in response to movement of the first .means for operating the actuator, means operatively associated with the dial and -actuator and operable by the latter, to rotate the dial in a direction opposed to its urged direction, and releasable for mountlng the element for rotary movemeans for latching the dial against movement in its 'urged direction.

13. A device of the character described comprisin a ball carrying element, means ment in response toy striking of the ball so as to cause the ball to travel in an orbital plath, means .on the element and means on the rst means co-acting to urge the element to a predetermined position in which the ball occupies'a definite position, whereby after the ball is struck it will be automatically returned f to said definite position, said co-acting means comprising a substantially heart shapedl cam, a movable abutment, and means for urg- Cam.

ANDREW C.'VOLK. 

